Third Man Records/Columbia Records; Photo by Pieter M. van HattemThe track list for The White Stripes‘ upcoming Greatest Hits album has been revealed, but it may take you a bit to figure it all out.
Third Man Records archivist Ben Blackwell has created a crossword puzzle that unveils each of the 25 songs featured on the compilation, along with the previously announced “Ball and Biscuit.” Fair warning, though: the puzzle’s so difficult that even members of the Third Man staff have had trouble figuring it out.
“When the idea of a crossword puzzle for announcing the White Stripes Greatest Hits track list came up, I thought it’d be a fun challenge to see how many of the song titles I could wring clues out of WITHOUT using anything to do with the band or their version of the songs,” Blackwell says in a statement to Rolling Stone.
“When TMR co-founder/co-owner (and someone DEEPLY involved in the track list selection) Ben Swank told me ‘I don’t know the answers to any of these,’ I felt like I had done a decent job,” he added.
To give you an example, the clue for Down 25 is “name of offshoot group of The Fall, but singular.” Those familiar with the English post-punk scene may recall the band Blue Orchids, the singular version of which would be “Blue Orchid,” the lead single off The White Stripes’ 2005 effort, Get Behind Me Satan.
The crossword also includes clues regarding basic White Stripes trivia, such as Down 35: “[Blank] Ryan, When Harry Met Sally actress,” which obviously refers to “Meg,” as in Meg Ryan and White Stripes drummer Meg White.
To solve the whole puzzle yourself, visit RollingStone.com.
The White Stripes’ Greatest Hits will be released December 4.
By Josh Johnson
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